NCT03921801

Effects of Improved Calf Muscle Function on Gait, Balance and Joint Loading in Older Adults

Improving Plantarflexor Muscle Function to Alleviate Decline in Mobility, Loss of Balance and Detrimental Knee Joint Loading in Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Eastern Finland · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study investigates the role of calf muscle function in gait performance, balance and knee joint loading. Previous studies have linked age-related loss of calf muscle function with impairments in gait performance and balance, and increased loading of the areas of the knee joint that are susceptible to the development of osteoarthritis. In this study, an exercise intervention targeting structural and neural aspects of impaired calf muscle function with ageing is utilized. The intervention lasts 8 weeks and includes either biofeedback training using electromyography to alter muscle activation patterns or a combination of biofeedback training and strength training for the calf muscle to modify calf function during walking. The study will test whether the intervention improves walking speed, reduces the metabolic cost of walking, improves standing balance and reduces knee joint loading.

Conditions

• Osteoarthritis, Knee
• Mobility Limitation
• Accidental Fall

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Gait retraining	Gait retraining using real-time electromyography biofeedback performed once per week for eight weeks. During the gait retraining session the participant is walking on a treadmill while receiving information on calf muscle activation. A single session includes five bouts of walking each lasting for 5 minutes. During the first bout, the participant is receiving feedback (visual and auditive) on soleus muscle activation with the aim to increase it by 20% from their normal walking. During the second bout, the participant is receiving feedback (visual and auditive) on medial gastrocnemius muscle activation with the aim to decrease it by 20% from their normal walking. During the last three bouts, the participant is receiving feedback (visual and auditive) on the soleus to medial gastrocnemius muscle activation ratio with the aim to increase it by 20% from their normal walking. If hitting the target, the aim is increased by 5% for the subsequent bout.
OTHER	Gait retraining + strength training	Gait retraining using real-time electromyography biofeedback performed once per week and home-based calf muscle strength training performed three times per week for eight weeks. The gait retraining is identical to the one intervention described for the intervention group "Gait retraining". The strength training is performed three times per week except for the first week in which it is performed two times. The session contained a warm-up (3x10 repetitions of two-legged heel raises) and maximal isometric calf muscle contractions. The maximal contractions are performed using a custom device with the ankle in dorsiflexion and the knee flexed by 100-120 degrees. Three sets of 10 repetitions (3-second contraction and 3-second rest) are performed with both legs and with maximal effort and 1-minute rest between the sets.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-04-13
• Primary completion: 2024-02-28
• Completion: 2024-02-28
• First posted: 2019-04-19
• Last updated: 2024-03-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Finland